Dreaming of the Tropics

The Dreamweaver challenge for the month of February is "February Flutters", meaning anything that flutters. Heart flutters, wings that flutter, breezes, sails, etc. Link your creations to the Dream It Up! blog for a chance to win the stencil of your choice. 
As for myself, I live in Southeast Michigan, where it is the 3rd snowiest year on record so far.  There are mountains of snow on the edges of parking lots and driveways.  We have also struggled with the "Polar Vortex", which has caused extremely low temperatures.  Yet today, the temperature broke above freezing, for the first time in a LONG time.  Spring began to tease us a little.  It had me dreaming of warmth, of summer, and the tropics, which made me think of this simple little card.

Simple, you wonder?  Why, yes it is.  I pasted the Toucan Stencil LG 752 on white card stock (apparently I did this backwards) and the Jungle Leaves Stencil LJ 825 on white card stock.  I used Matte Black Embossing Paste DMBP on both.  Of course, my pasting supplies included the Paste Spreader LM 2010 and the Removable Tape.  I missed a little spot on the bottom left but, in the end, I thought that it added character.

When the paste was dry, I placed the clean stencil over the top of the pasted area and "painted" with Metallic FX Mica Powders.  I used Goldfinch FX05 on the beak and feet, Kimono Red FX15 on the flower and head, Moonstone FX04 on the neck and belly, Cocoa FX18 on the branches and a combination of Kiwi FX10 and Ivy Garden FX11 on the greenery.  I prefer to apply the colors with my fingers.  I think they go on a little more intensely and I don't mind getting a little messy.  If that bothers you, you can easily apply the colors with a stencil brush or even a cotton swab.  The amazing thing is when you use the matte colored paste, the Mica Powders stay on!  The last step is to add a little black rhinestone to the eyes and assemble the card.

Take a look at the way it shimmers when I hold it sideways:

I hope you liked dreaming of tropical climes with me today.  I heard we will be experiencing another "Polar Vortex" again next week......

I would love it if you could leave me a comment.  Check out the other "A" Team players this week when you get the chance: 

Dream It Up!

Laura Drahozal

Lyn Bernatovich

Pam Hornschu

Heidi Erickson

Louise Healy  

Cyndi Bundy

February Flutters

Are you ready for the new Dreamweaver challenge for the month of February? It will be a short month of posts for the Dream Team, but we're pretty excited to share with you our versions of "February Flutters", meaning anything that flutters. Heart flutters, wings that flutter, breezes, sails, etc. So, come along for the ride and link your own "flutterings" to the Dream It Up! blog for a chance to win the stencil of your choice. Meanwhile, here's my "fluttering" for the week:

Here is how it was done:

MATERIALS:

Stencil LX 7025 Crusade Bkgd

Stencil LL 3037 Zen Butterfly

Stencil LM 150 Happy Birthday

Stamping Details Rubber Embossing Mat

AC07 Gold Coated Mercart Metal

AC08 Medium Blue Coated Mercart Metal

Mercart Teflon Tool (in basic kit)

ACB6 Mercart Cup and Ball Tool

MercartUSA Filling Paste

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Blue Velvet

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Sugar Plum

Color Solutions Alcohol Ink in Black Beauty

A Piece of Suede to Work On

May Arts Ribbon

Sanding Block or Sand Paper

Cotton Swab

Card Sock

Adhesive

Manual Die Cut Machine with Cutting Mats

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Run the gold coated aluminum through your manual die cut machine with the background stencil and the rubber embossing mat.  The "sandwich" for the Cuttlebug is A Plate, stencil (face UP), metal (face UP), rubber embossing mat, and two B Plates.  This is technically debossed, because the metal is being pressed into the stencil.  Leave the metal on the stencil.

2)  With the metal still over the stencil, sand lightly to uncover the silver color where the stencil remains.

3)  Remove the stencil.

4)  Run the metal through the manual die cut machine again.  This time, use the butterfly stencil and place the "sandwich" this way:  A Plate, stencil  (face DOWN),  metal (gold side DOWN), rubber embossing mat and to B Plates.  This way, the metal is pushed down into the back of the stencil, as if the color is being pushed out and through.  This is embossing.

5)  Place the metal face down on the suede and use the ball tool to press the metal out and give the butterfly dimension.

6)  When the butterfly is nice and "poufy", place right side up on a hard, smooth surface.  Go around the edges of the design with the Teflon Tool and refine them.  Also make sure to use the "deerfoot" side of the tool to flatten out where the metal bent around the edges of the butterfly stencil.

7)  When you have the effect you want on the butterfly, flip it gold side down and full the cavities with the MercartUSA Filling Paste.  You just squeeze it into the holes and let it dry a couple of hours.

8)  When the butterfly is dry and hard, flip it back to the front and use a cotton swab to gently apply color to the raised area.  I used Blue Velvet and Sugar Plum on the wings and Black Beauty on the body and antennae.

9)  Run the Blue Coated Aluminum through the machine with the words.  You will be debossing, so put the stencil and the metal both face UP before you run it through.  Leave the metal on the stencil.

10)  With the metal still on the stencil, use the Teflon Tool to push the metal into the letters a little further. 

11)  Add a little Sugar Plum Color Solutions in the letters if desired.

12)  With the metal still on the stencil, vigorously sand the blue and purple off of the areas over the stencil.

13)  Remove the stencil.

14)  Assemble the card.

Be sure to leave me some encouragement before flitting over to the "A" team blogs: 

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich
Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy
Cyndi Bundy